Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-05-16
a True Bear Story.

Sergt. Francis Long of Brooklyn,
a survivor of the Greelv Arctic ex-
petition, tells the following true bear
story, of Starvation Camp. He
says: Bacon, shrimps, and seal-skin
stew, all in small quantities, had
! been our fare for over two weeks,
and there was not a full round of
rations left. More than half the
men in camp were incapable of work.
One day Brainerd had gone to the
shrimping ground, and was still alb
sent when | laid by my gun. Sudden
~ he appeared, running down Gem
etery Ridge as fast as his poor weak
legs would bring him. We all start
ed up, and waited his coming in the
most painful excitement. When he
reached the camp he fell to the
ground all out of breath. The men
crawled to his assistance, and two
of them raised his head in their
arms. He gasped and looked at US
wildly.
'.Brainerd. exclaimed the lieu
tenant, ''what is it ?"
''Bear, bear !" was all he could
answer in a choking whisper.
''Where, man, where p | cried,
reaching for my gun, all trembling
and quivering with hope and fear.
''There," he said family, pointing
towards the ridge; .'he followed
after me he's coming"
The men were in a perfect frenzy.
Cruel suffering had made them worse
than unreasonable. Some of them
could think of nothing but cursing
poor Brainerd for not killing the
bear, and were with difficulty re-
strained from falling upon him to
wreak vengeance. Jan, the Esquimau,
and | started up the ridge to meet
the bear if he should continue to-
wards US. Hardly had we got a rod
from the camp when a long white
nose appeared over an ice-covered
rock at the top of the hill. The men
set up a shout, and | think it un-
nerved me, but it was a long range
shot, nearly 300 yards, and the tar
get was small. | raised my gun,
and taking quick aim, fired. The
ball missed, but it did not 90 wide
of its mark. The bear was startled.
He paused just too short a time to
give the Esquimau a chance at him,
and turned tail and ran. l heard |
the bowls and groans of disappoint-
ment and rage behind me.
''Jan," l said hastily, stake the
course to the left and 90 round the |
ridge and keep we'll to the west, so
as to get between the bear and the
water. | will go the same way on
the east"
1t was indeed a terrible chase.
At last, two hours and half after
leaving the camp, we gained the
position | wanted. | climbed a low
hill, and there was bruin 900 yards
away, sitting down after his hard
run within thirty yards of open
water. With the utmost care not
to alarm him, we crawled over the
ground, approaching nearer and
nearer to our prey. We had got
perhaps half the distance when Jan
raised his gun and fired. | think it
was bad Judgment, for we might
have got much closer. But there
was no time for regret. Excitement
gave me more strength, and | ran
with all my might straight toward
the bear. He got up and looked at
me, and seemed not to know whether
to run again or stand and make a
a fight of it. Then l stopped run
ming, threw my cap down, pulled off
my mittens, and acted as deliberately
as if | were out practising at tar
get. My excitement seemed to leave
me, or rather to make me steady.
| took a long, careful aim and fired
The bear turned slightly, but it was
evident that | had missed.
My heart sunk low. Jan had not
been able to get another shot, and
was not now where he could fire
with any hope of hitting. The bear
began to make for the water. Ready
to die with despair if | should fail
again | took another long aim.
The bullet struck the bear in the
head and he tumbled over instantly,
stone dead. The bear saved us, for
Just before it in its turn gave out,
the rescuing expedition found US.